OZJF publicly supports Lox & Loaded, a Jewish-owned firearms education and preparedness group. We say so here, on the record. No hidden relationships, no wink-and-a-nod. A Jewish advocacy organization should be clear about the partners it believes in, and this is one of them.
What Lox & Loaded is
Lox & Loaded runs firearms training, legal self-defense education, and community preparedness events aimed at Jewish Americans. The program’s own about page describes it as a Jewish-owned effort built around lawful, trained ownership and community readiness, not politics. Their events are open to adults across the community and focus on safety, situational awareness, and legal use of force.
Why we back it
The case for a public endorsement comes down to three things.
One: the threat picture changed. The FBI’s hate crime statistics show anti-Jewish incidents at the top of the religion-motivated list for years, with a sharp jump after October 7, 2023. The Anti-Defamation League’s 2024 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents recorded the highest number the ADL has ever logged. Jewish Americans are reading that data and asking reasonable questions about safety.
Two: Jewish self-defense has a long, legitimate history. From the Shomrim in the Tsarist empire to the Haganah before 1948, Jewish communities that organized for lawful self-defense lived longer. A civil, trained, law-abiding program in 2026 America sits in that tradition — not outside it.
Three: training beats improvisation. Lox & Loaded’s focus is education and compliance with state and federal law. That is the exact opposite of vigilantism. A trained, licensed person who understands what self-defense actually permits is less dangerous to their neighbors, not more.
How we scope the relationship
We do not fundraise for Lox & Loaded. We do not take money from them. We do not speak for them, and they do not speak for us. Our endorsement is editorial: when the subject of Jewish self-defense preparedness comes up, we point readers at Lox & Loaded as the program we trust.
If that changes, we will say so on this page and on the governance page.
What this does not mean
Backing a firearms education program is not a call to arms. It is not an endorsement of vigilante action. It is not a statement about any other country’s policies or any particular political party. Lox & Loaded is a preparedness group. OZJF is an advocacy organization. The two missions touch at one point — Jewish American safety — and we are open about the overlap.
The right takeaway
Jewish Americans have a right to feel safe in their country. Part of that is public advocacy, which is what OZJF does. Part of it is lawful preparation, which is what Lox & Loaded does. We back the work, we say so in public, and readers can draw their own conclusions.
If you are considering a donation or a class, go directly to loxandloaded.org. If you have a question about our relationship, start at our governance page or write us through the contact form.